Typhoon! ordered to pay Thai worker $268K

Typhoon! Restaurants must pay a former cook $268,150 to settle claims it mistreated the Thai national, but the Portland restaurant chain was absolved of more serious charges that it engaged in human trafficking.

The human trafficking charges leveled by Sarinya Reabody attracted widespread condemnation and hurt the business, according to Typhoon! owners Bo and Steve Kline.

A three-member arbitration panel said Typhoon! and the Klines must pay damages to Reabody to settle three of eight claims she leveled at the couple in a 2008 lawsuit. The case was sent to Portland Arbitration Services after being heard by the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

The arbitration panel of Albert J. Bannon, Susan Eggum and Robert Schlachter ruled that while the Klines may have been overbearing managers and violated worker rights laws, their behavior didn’t rise to the level of human trafficking.

The panel noted that Reabody renewed her contract to work for Typhoon! several times and was free to make her own living arrangements. She received paid vacation as well as health insurance and courtesy air fare to travel back to Thailand between contracts.

The panel found Typhoon! discriminated against Reabody based on her national origin, discriminated against her because of a workers compensation claim and failed to pay all wages due.

The couple and Typhoon! were ordered to pay $100,000 in damages for treating Reabody differently from American workers because of her nationality, $150,000 in damages because she was threatened by a manager for making a workers compensation claim stemming from an injury, $7,714.12 for unpaid overtime and interest, $7,714.12 for liquidated damages and $2,722.50 for penalties. Reabody also is eligible for attorney fees.

In a press release, the Klines said they believe the awards are "unreasonably high” but expressed relief that the human trafficking allegations were resolved.

“This outrageous human trafficking claim has been kicking our company around for a long time,” said Steve Kline.